bring up sharply

bring (one) up sharply

To cause one to abruptly stop doing something. The sudden blaring of the alarm brought me up sharply on my way down the hall. News of the reduction in funding brought our researchers up sharply. The anger in Tom's voice brought me up sharply because he's usually such an easygoing guy.

See also: bring, sharply, up

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bring someone up sharply

 and bring someone up short

to surprise or shock someone; to make someone face something unpleasant, suddenly. The slap in the face brought me up sharply. The loud bang brought me up short.

See also: bring, sharply, up

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.